Rooftop owners seek to extend deal with Cubs by 9 years

Wrigley rooftop owners showed an illustration of their vision for ads on their building overlooking Wrigley Field. (Wrigley rooftops/Handout)

The owners of the rooftop businesses neighboring Wrigley Field would like to extend their contract with the Cubs by nine years for letting the team sell advertising on their buildings.

A 20-year contract between the Cubs rooftop owners, who share 17 percent of their revenue with the team, will expire at the end of 2023. Tthough 11 years remain in the agreement, the rooftop owners seek an extension that would guarantee unobstructed views of the ballpark from their buildings, said Jim Lourgos and Beth Murphy, two owners.

An extension is part of negotiations the rooftop owners are having with the team over advertising signage at Wrigley Field. The Cubs would like to increase advertising to help pay for a $300 million renovation of the ballpark. The owners of the 16 rooftop clubs are concerned that new signs could block their bird's eye views of games and put them out of business.

Last week, they made a public plea to the Cubs to be good neighbors. At a news conference, the rooftop owners offered to let the Cubs place signs on their buildings and would forgo all revenue the signs would generate, potentially $10 million to $20 million a year.

The dispute threatens to hold up a deal the team is negotiating with Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration to modernize the Friendly Confines without tax dollars. The Cubs seek to amend city ordinances that regulate team operations, from the number of night games to the number of ads in the ballpark. Without the zoning and landmark restrictions, the team's owners say they will pay for a long-overdue face-lift of their stadium.

"We have to try a solution that works for everyone," said Lourgos in a meeting with the Tribune's editorial board on Wednesday.

A team official could not be immediately reached for comment on the contract extension the rooftop owners are seeking.